Best banking services for young people

We provide daily banking services for young people aged 15–17 free of charge.

Account for a young person’s money

A personal bank account is the basis of banking. You can open an account for a young person easily online, or the young person can open it themself for their earnings.

Debit card for easier everyday life

A card can be linked to the account, meaning that purchases will be debited directly from the account. It is also possible to pay using a phone if the card is linked to mobile payment apps.

Using online services is easy with OP's user ID

With the user ID, a young person can use OP-mobile and the op.fi service, pay online and in apps and use important services such as Kela, My Kanta Pages and the joint application system and entrance exams for schools.

Activate banking service for a young person

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Sign the application

A child’s own account and card will help them to manage spending and saving

OP Debit, which is suitable for young people, can be used to pay for purchases in Finland, abroad and online. When a young person pays with a card, the card's balance is checked and the payment is debited directly from the account.

The card works in locations without Internet access, such as aircraft. Then, the account balance may be exceeded. It pays to set spending and withdrawal limits for a young person's account enabling a secure daily use. However, the young person can change the card’s withdrawal and spending limits with their personal user ID.

When an OP user ID is activated for a young person, they can personally monitor their account transactions and balance on OP-mobile and op.fi service, and confirm payments online through applications and when using services. They can also log into services requiring strong identification, such as the op.fi service, Kela and My Kanta Pages.

The card held by a person aged at least 13 years can be linked to Apple Pay. When the person has turned 16 years, their card can also be linked to Googly Pay, Samsung Pay and Garmin Pay.

How to activate banking services for 15–17 year olds

  1. Make sure that the young person has a valid personal ID document (passport or ID card) and personal phone number.
  2. You open an account and apply for a card by filling in an application together with the young person.
  3. A parent or parents sign the application using their own banking user ID.

The debit card and its PIN will arrive at home within 1–2 weeks.

This is how to a young person gets OP's user ID

  1. If the young person also wants to have OP's user ID, they must be picked up from a branch. When you have activated other services on the op.fi service, book an appointment with a branch. Select “Personal customer - Daily banking services - Minor's accounts, cards and user IDs” as the subject. Mention that the young person wants to have OP's user ID. Book an appointment
  2. With the parents' consent, the young person can visit a branch alone. Consent can be given while activating other banking services for the young person. A parent or parents can also join the appointment.
  3. Please take a personal ID document with you. The youngster must take an ID card or passport. A driving licence can serve as a personal ID for the parents. Read more about accepted personal ID documents
  4. At the appointment, OP's user ID will be given to the young person right away.

Power of attorney for managing banking for a minor

We recommend that both parents grant power of attorney for managing the banking affairs of an underage child or young person. The power of attorney will be needed later for purposes such as using saving and investment services and changing card security limits via Customer Service. Power of attorney can be granted through the op.fi service.

Can I fill in the application on the op.fi service?

You can fill in the application for a young person on the op.fi service if all of the following conditions are met:

  • The young person has a personal identity code, and their name is registered in the Population Infor-mation System.
  • The young person is under 18
  • The young person does not have a separately appointed legal guardian (instead of the guardians filling this role)
  • The young person is a citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA) or a dual citizen who holds citizen-ship in Finland and another EEA country.
  • The young person has a permanent address and domicile in Finland
  • The name or personal identity code of the young person is not on a sanctions list.

The parents must additionally meet the following conditions:

  • The person initiating the application has an OP user ID
  • The other parent(s), if any, have any banking user identifiers issued by a Finnish bank
  • The parents are the child's official guardians according to the Population Information System
  • The parents are of full legal capacity and over the age of 18
  • The name or personal identity code of the parent is not on a sanctions list
  • The parent has a permanent or temporary address in Finland or abroad

You can apply for a card for a young person on the op.fi service if all of the below conditions are met:

  • The young person has a personal mobile phone. Fill in the application together with the young person.
  • The young person has a valid identity card or passport issued by a Finnish authority. A photo of the personal identity document must be attached to the application.

If you cannot open the services for a young person in the digital channel, please contact our Customer Service. Our Customer Service will book you an appointment at a branch and tell you what you need to bring with you to the appointment.

Can I apply for a card for an existing account?
  • If you apply for a card on the op.fi service, a new account will be opened for the young person.
  • If you want to apply for a card for an existing account, you can initiate the application by calling the OP Customer Service on 0100 0500 or visiting an OP cooperative bank branch. In both cases, you will need a power of attorney from the young person's other parent, if any.
  • The application can be completed over the phone, but the young person must visit a branch in order to identify themself in person.
Tips for parents
  • The best way to manage a young person’s account and spending is to keep only a reasonable amount of money on the young person’s account. 
  • Any mutual funds and equity investments are not visible to the young person themself. 
  • Parents can see their young person’s account with their user ID on OP-mobile and the op.fi service if they have access rights to the account. 
  • If one of the parents of both parents have access rights to the account, they can set transaction limits on their young person’s account to restrict its use, if necessary. Either parent can request changes to transaction limits via chat, by calling the Customer Service or visiting a bank branch, if the other parent has granted them power of attorney, or the parents can send the same messages on OP-mobile or the op.fi service. 
  • Please note that the young person can change the card’s withdrawal and spending limits with their personal user ID. If necessary, either parent can change the limits by calling the Customer Service, if the other parent has granted them power of attorney. 
  • A young person who has turned 15 and is in paid employment can open an account for their earnings and order a card. Parents have no right to use this account without the young person’s permission. 
  • Let’s work together to make sure that the young person takes good care of their finances and credit history. Young people can safely learn to manage their personal finances with the help of OP-mobile. Getting started with saving and investing is also a great way to prepare for the years to come. 
Termination of owner-customer relationship

Owner-customer terminates the membership

The owner-customer has, at any time, the right to terminate their owner-customer membership by informing their OP cooperative bank of this in writing. The owner-customer membership termination date is the date on which the OP cooperative bank has received the termination notice.

Death of owner-customer

An owner-customer membership will terminate on the death of the owner-customer. In the distribution or partition of the deceased person’s estate, the death estate can transfer the deceased person’s owner-customer membership, generally either to widow/widower or heir.

Becoming an owner-customer and membership cooperative contribution

Becoming an owner-customer and member contribution

Your current customer relationship and any user ID in your use affects you becoming an owner-customer.

  • If you are an OP cooperative bank’s customer and have OP’s user ID, you can become an owner-customer by logging into the op.fi service. Become an owner-customer
  • If you are an OP cooperative bank’s customer but you do not have OP’s user ID, start by booking an appointment Book an appointment
  • If you are not an OP cooperative bank’s customer but you have another bank’s user identifiers and are interested in becoming an OP cooperative bank’s customer, become our customer online Become our customer easily online

Membership cooperative contribution

When joining us, you will pay an ordinary cooperative contribution as a one-time contribution, no other payments exist. In most banks, the amount of the membership cooperative contribution is 100 euros. You can find the amount of the membership cooperative contribution on the owner-customer application and in your OP cooperative bank.

If ever you decide to stop being an owner-customer, your membership contribution will be refunded to you in full. The cooperative contribution will be refunded after one year has lapsed from the end of the financial year during which the owner-customer membership was terminated.

However, OP cooperative banks have the right to refuse to refund the contributions according to the bank's rules. You can check the rules of the OP cooperative bank on the bank's op.fi page or in the head office.

Who can become an owner-customer?

Any person, entity or foundation using OP Financial Group’s services, irrespective of their nationality, can become an owner-customer.

Child as an owner-customer

A child can become an owner-customer. All guardians of the child sign together their underage child’s application for an owner-customer membership. By doing so, the parents also give their consent that their child will begin to earn OP bonuses.

If the membership contribution is paid using proceeds of the child’s own work, the child can him/herself sign the membership application and pay the membership contribution.